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An Andalucian Adventure: Part 2. Cordobaby Karen Leathers Photographs to illustrate the article published in The Mediterranean Garden No 80, April 2015 A late spring trip to Andalucía for a group of MGS members began at the Generalife and Alhambra
“Later in the morning we met up with the rest of the group and our guide who was to take us on the long-awaited tour to a selection of private residential patios. There are literally hundreds all around the city within six main zones and we were to visit the Zona Alcazar Viejo just inside the ancient walls of the city. ….Everything was at its absolute best as the visit had been planned to coincide with the famous annual Patio Festival. The streets were crowded, filled with noisy and excited visitors eager to take it all in. There was a palpable competitive spirit between the patio residents competing for the many awards.”
“Various styles of patio were to be seen: in the more traditional ones, pelargonium-filled pots were displayed on every available centimetre of wall or floor space...”
“The afternoon was devoted to visiting the twelve courtyard gardens of the Palacio de Viana. The Palace has a rich and fascinating history spanning from the 15th-century to the present. Following an outcry from the Córdoban people when the last residing family wanted to sell the property in 1980, an agreement was reached and the Palace, complete with all its works of art, was acquired by the Foundation of the Provincial Savings Bank of Cordoba. It was declared a National Historical-Artistic Monument in 1981 and a Historical-Artistic garden in 1983.” “The Reception Courtyard was built to create an impressive main entrance and clearly showed that the Palace was once home to nobility. Nowadays the image of this courtyard, with its central giant palm, is one of the iconic images of the Viana.”
“A favourite for me was the Courtyard of the Pool which is the gardeners’ workplace. Complete with greenhouse and pool of well water, it evokes the spirit of this working space. Another tradition with Moorish roots is to store well water in a pool, where it is exposed to the sun…”
“It was very noticeable that great attention was paid to the placement and grooming of individual plants.”
“On the last day we joined our guide on the ancient Roman bridge over the Guadalquivir river. From there we walked to the nearby gardens of the Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos. Although the palace and fortress have a rich history dating back to early medieval times, perhaps the most notable period would have been in the 15th century when it was the primary residence of Ferdinand and Isabella. It was here too that they met Christopher Columbus before he set sail on his first voyage to the Americas.”
Finally the group made its way to the Real Jardín Botánico de Córdoba.
“A small rose garden led on to the Arboretum where a huge Ceiba speciosa (syn. Chorisia speciosa) dominated the entrance, its trunk covered in thick spines. Housed here was an exciting collection of over 200 trees and shrubs from all over the world.”
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